Coatesville to vote on new police chief

COATESVILLE — City Council will vote Monday to hire Pennsylvania State Police Major John Laufer as the city’s new police chief, according to City Manager Kirby Hudson.

Last year a search committee identified Laufer as the top candidate for the job, but his hiring fell through in September when city council failed to gather enough votes to approve the move. Four votes were needed to approve Laufer’s hiring, but only four council members were present when the vote took place. Councilwoman Carrie “Villa” Hunt, citing concerns over the city’s finances, was the sole dissenting vote.

The city then switched its focus to Philadelphia Deputy Police Commissioner Stephen Johnson, whose hiring was unanimously approved in December. Just a day after Johnson was sworn in he was diagnosed with cancer and resigned before ever officially taking office.

That led the city to make another effort to land Laufer, who previously withdrew his name from consideration after his hiring was voted down. Hudson said Friday that Laufer is fully aware of Monday’s vote and is again interested in the position.

“It’s come full circle,” Hudson said, adding that if all goes well Laufer would be sworn in at Jan. 14’s city council meeting, the first full meeting of the year.

The vote will take place at city council’s annual reorganization meeting on Monday afternoon.